Doll eyes



F. H. SONGER June 27, 1961 DOLL EYES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2. 1959 FlG.2

FIGA

INVENTOR FRANCIS H. SONGER ATTORNEY June 27, 1961 F. H. SONGER DOLL EYES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1959 FIG.6

FIG.9

FIGJO FIG] INVENTOR FRANCIS H. SONGER ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,989,819 DOLL EYES Francis H. Songer, 2722 Cove Circle NE., Atlanta, Ga. Filed Jan. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 784,533 Claims. (Cl. 46-167) This invention relates to doll eyes and especially to an arrangement of eyes in a doll and the like created and produced by the use of a mirror or other reflective surface. The same apparatus applies to stuffed toy animals and to any other figure that has artifically constructed eyes.

One of the more important aspects of dolls, toy stuffed animals, and other figures that are made to seem lifelike are the eyes, since they catch so much attention. Painted eyes lack reality of life, while various prior art three dimensional eyes present a lifeless fixed stare impression. Painted three dimensional eyeballs and lids do not have depth which actually characterizes real eyes. Other attempts to create depth and reality in simulated, artificial eyes for dolls and the like have resulted in either sensitive or complex arrangements too expensive and too delicate for use. The present invention reveals doll eyes with an unusual quality and interesting impression but at low cost and with adequate durability.

Generally described, the present doll eyes are to be fitted inside a head which has front eye sockets in which the eyes appear. An eye frame or base or holder is composed of a distorted box-like construction from paper board, plastic or the like and has at the front thereof two spaced eye sockets matching with the head sockets. At the bottom of the base is formed a pair of eye cups generally aligned with a respective front eye socket and having loosely contained therein a respective eyeball member of glass, plastic or other material in a smooth spherical form. In cover-like fashion at an angle across the top of said frame is a reflective mirror or other surface which is angled to direct reflected light from the two bottom eye members through the frame sockets and through the front sockets in the doll head. The halls are free tomove and roll around within their respective cups but confined inside the base and concealed within the doll head. In one preferred embodiment there are two cups, two balls and a fiat reflective surface for both balls While in another acceptable form there is only one generally central cup, one ball for creating both eyes, and a pair of intersecting reflective surfaces reflecting an image to a respective eye opening. In both embodiments there are two eye sockets and, optionally, a pair of front eye lenses simulating a cornea or lens.

Therefore, according to the instant arrangement, an eyeball member, recessed and hidden within the doll head, moves around in a cup and is reflected from the front eye sockets to simulate eyes.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and reasonably realistic doll eye device.

Another object of this invention resides in the use of a reflective surface in the simulation of doll eyes.

An additional advantage of this invention is in the simple and reliable Way of having doll eyes that move and change position with respect to the front eye sockets.

Another advantage is that this device can be made to prevent strange-looking eyes.

There are other and further objects and advantages of my invention which will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a doll head showing a side elevation view of the present doll eye device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the doll eye device of this invention with the reflective mirror partly removed to expose the eyeball members.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the doll eye device of FIG. 2 with parts thereof broken away.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the device in FIG. 3 with the end plate sectioned away.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the device in FIG. 2 with the reflective mirror broken away.

FIG. 6 is a modified form of the invention employing only one eyeball member to produce two eye images.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the eyeball device in FIG. 6 with a bottom portion broken away.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the device in FIGS. 6 and 7 with dotted lines to illustrate the path of reflected light which produces an eye image.

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the eyeball device of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the device in FIG. 9 with the end plate sectioned away.

Referring initially to the embodiment in FIGS. 1 through 5, it is seen that the whole device 10 is supported and concealed within a doll head 12 (which can' be any other figure, such as an animal). The head 12 may be provided with a front eye lens 14 attached to a respective eye socket 16 of a pair of sockets actually formed in the doll itself in the front of the head 12.

The reflective eye device 10 consists of a box-like. frame composed of a front plate member 18 with spaced; front eye sockets 20 therein which are positioned be: hind and in alignment with the sockets 16 in the doll head and held in place by an eyelet 21. Front plate 18 has attached thereto a projecting bottom plate 22 having a pair of spaced eye member cups 24 therein in which is positioned a respective eyeball member 26, preferably black in color. Angular side members 28, 30 attach to and close the sides between plates 18 and 22 and received attached across the respective diagonal edges thereof a reflective plate member 32 having a reflective mirror under-surface 34 to reflect light entering and striking balls 26 through front openings 20. For ease in assembly, grooves may be provided in members 18, 28 and 30 to receive the edges of plate 32.

Accordingly, balls 26 are aligned and will be reflected from their placesin cups 24 by mirror 34 to be seen through front openings 20 as eyeballs. As balls 26 move in their respective cups 24 this movement will appear through the front openings 20 as moving eyes. Lens 14 is an optional element on the doll head 12 which may be used to prevent a child from exploring inside the opening through sockets 20 and also may be plain glass, optically ground glass or other material of selected color to give Whatever effect is desired and can be used tocause a goofy effect for clowns and the like. 7

In the modified form 48 presented by FIGS. 6 through 10, the same type doll head 50 as the head 12 in theprevious form may be used and with a pair of sockets 52 and front lens 54. Referring to FIG. 9, it is readily seen that the frame of device 10 has been changed so that a single ball will provide both eyes. A front plate 56 with attachment eyelet 57 has two spaced, front sockets 58 and has attached thereto the projecting bot' tom plate 60 which has only one cup member 62 in which a single eyeball member 64, preferably black in Side members 66, 68 with respective diag-- color, rolls. onal edges 70, 72 provide end closures between plates 56 and '60 and the top of the box-like frame is closed by reflective surfaces consisting of a pair of intersecting angled reflective plate members 74, 76 at the back andabove and behind a respective front socket 58 so as to' reflect the image from ball 64 as a double image coming from both surface 74 and surface 76 through a respective front socket 58. A triangular reflective top' member 78 closes the space around the two members 7-4, 76 and the front member 56 top edge. The edges 70, 72 of members 66, 68 and top edge of member 56 may be grooved to receive members '74, 76.

Accordingly, as the single eyeball member 64 rolls in its cup 62 it is projected as a double image aligned through the front eye openings 52 and through the lens 54, simulating eyes and providing an interesting and unusual effect. If desired, the cups 2-: and 62 may, in one embodiment, be of a magnetic material and the respective balls 26 and 64, in this particular form, may have some magnetically attracted material therein, as by imbedding iron filings in the material or using an iron core, so that there is a tendency for the balls to stick in the respective cups. In another form, the balls 26, 64 can be of a lightweight foam plastic, black in color. Many interesting effects can be obtained by variations in color and materials. For example, the ball 26 or 64 can be arranged to move in the cup 24 or 62 in a peculiar manner in order to give a cross-eyed or cock-eyed or other effect for use in a crazy bear stuffed animal or a clown doll and the like. Also, a small light can be placed with a dry cell battery inside the doll head to provide more light with whatever light effect is desired on the reflection surface.

Cups 24, 62 can be cup-shaped as shown or they can very readily be elongated grooves or tracks that limit the eyeball member therein to longitudinal movement therein or they can as well be intersecting grooves so that the balls travel in a line but change direction in straight lines at angles to the previous path. The top of the cups 24, 62 may be covered over by a transparent plate or sheet on which permanent markings can be drawn as part of the reflected image.

While I have shown and described in detail various embodiments of my invention, this is for descriptive purposes only and is not to be construed as any sort of limitation on the scope of my invention since various other changes may be made and alterations, substitutions, eliminations, modifications, and revisions may be made in the devices shown herein without departing from the scope of my invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for simulating eyes in a toy which has eye openings formed therein, an eye frame having at least one front eye socket in alignment with the toy eye opening, an eyeball support member mounted on said frame behind and below said front eye socket, an exposed eyeball member retained on said support member and being freely movable thereon, and a reflective surface mounted on said frame between said front opening and said eyeball member to reflect an image of said eye ball member through said front opening, whereby the image of said eyeball member is seen as said member moves about on said support members.

2. In a device for simulating eyes in a toy which has eye openings formed therein, an eye frame having at least one front eye socket in alignment with the toy eye opening, an eyeball support member mounted on said frame behind and below said front eye socket, a threedimensional eyeball member retained on said support member and being freely movable thereon, and a reflective surface mounted on said frame between said front opening and said eyeball member to reflect an image of said eyeball member through said front opening, whereby the image of said eyeball member is seen as said member moves about on said support members.

3. In a device for simulating eyes in a toy which has a generally closed surface with at least one eye socket therein, an eye frame member supported behind and normally concealed within said toy, a front member on said frame defining at least one eye socket for alignment with said eye socket in said toy, a projecting support member attached with said front member and extending therefrom, a depression formed in said support member,

an eyeball member resting in said depression for movement therein, and a reflective surface mounted on said frame between said depression and said front socket to reflect an image of said ball from its position in said depression through the front opening thereby simulating an eye behind said opening, said ball being movable as said toy is moved to create the impression of a moving eye.

4. In a device for simulating eyes in a toy which has a generally closed surface with at least one eye socket therein, an eye frame member supported behind and normally concealed within said toy, a substantially platelike front member on said frame defining at least one eye socket for alignment with said eye socket in said toy, a substantially flat, plate-like projecting support member attached with said front member and extending therefrom, a depression formed in said support member, a three-dimensional eyeball member resting in said depression for movement therein, and a reflective surface mounted on said frame between said depression and said front socket to reflect an image of said ball from its position in said depression at the front opening thereby simulating an eye behind said opening, said ball being movable as said toy is moved to create the impression of a moving eye.

5. In an eye device for simulating an eye in toys which have an eye position indicated visibly thereon, a base frame member mounted internally of a portion of the toy and being supported therein, an eye member support surface mounted on said base frame member and having a portion thereof projecting at an angle to the plane of the eye position, an eye image producing member mounted on said support surface for movement thereon, and a reflective surface mounted on said toy between said eye image producing member and the eye position to reflect the image of the eye producing member at the eye position to appear as an eye at said position, whereby an eye image is produced by reflecting same from behind said eye position.

6. In an eye device for simulating an eye in toys which have an eye position indicated visibly thereon, a base frame member mounted internally of a portion of the toy and being supported therein, an eye member support surface mounted on said base frame member and having a portion thereof projecting at an angle to the plane of the eye position, an eye image producing three-dimensional member mounted on said support surface for movement thereon, and a reflective surface mounted on said toy between said eye image producing member and the eye position to reflect the image of the eye producing member at the eye position to appear as an eye at said position, whereby an eye image is produced by reflecting same from behind said eye position.

7. In an eye device for simulating an eye in toys which have at least one eye position indicated visibly thereon, an eye producing base support frame mounted internally within said toy adjacent the eye indicating position thereon and having a front plate member normally concealed behind said eye position in said eye with an eye opening formed therein to correspond with the numbers of eyes indicated on said toy, a substantially flat, plate-like support ledge mounted on said front plate and projecting therefrom inside said toy, at least one eye producing member mounted on said support ledge for movement thereon, said support ledge having a portion thereof defined as an area in which said eye image producing device moves, and a reflective surface mounted on said base internally of said toy and between said eye image producing device and said front opening to reflect the image of said member either moving or at rest to a point visible at said toy eye position, said reflective surface producing an image at said eye position to simulate an eye thereat.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein there is only one eye producing member and a plurality of individual reflective surfaces to create several images thereof.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein there are two eye producing members and only one reflecting surface to produce two images.

10. In an eye device for simulating an eye in toys which have at least one eye open position indicated visibly thereon, an eye producing base support frame mounted internally within said toy adjacent the eye indicating position thereon and having a substantially flat, front plate member normally concealed behind said eye position in said eye with an eye opening formed therein to correspond with the numbers of eyes indicated on said toy, a substantially flat, plate-like support ledge mounted on said front plate and projecting therefrom inside said toy, at least one eye image producing three-dimensional member mounted on said support ledge for movement thereon, said support ledge having a depressed portion thereof defined as an area in which said eye image producing device moves, and a reflective surface mounted on said base internally of said toy and between said eye image.

producing device and said front opening to reflect the image of said member either moving or at rest to a point visible at said toy eye position, said reflective surface producing an image at said eye position to simulate an eye thereat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

